Henry cutler



H. CUTLER;

Meal Drier. No. 94,574. Patented Sept. 7} 1869.

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HENRY CUTLER, OF ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO N. CUTLER & CO.. 'OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No 94,57 4, dated Sqrtcmber. 7, 1869.

MEAL AND FLOUR-DRIER.

The Schedule referred to in tinsel-otters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IENRY CUTLER, of Ashland, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an improved Apparatus for Drying Meal and Flour;'and do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved drier.

Figure 2 is a cross-section on line :0 y of fig. 1.

Figure 3 shows sections of the hollow head at the discharge-end of drier.

The object of my invention is to produce a practical steam-drier, for drying ground grain.

The nature of my invention consists of a cylinder, in which revolves a shaft having pipes longitudinally arranged around it and between hollow heads at each end: also in means for supplying these pipes with steam, and for discharging condensed steam without the accumulation of water, either in the pipes or heads; also in an arrangement of floats with the pipes to assist in properly agitating the meal in the process of drying.

In the drawings- A is a cylinder of suitable size and material, open at the top A the whole length, or it may be partly closed.

I is a trough for the introduction of meal from the mill.

B is an outlet for meal after it has passed through the drier.

Within cylinder A are hollow heads, E 'E', one at each end, connected by pipes, c c c, and all revolving on hollow journals, D D, extending through the outside heads of the cylinder A.

At a little distance from each hollow head, E or E, is a false head, a a, through which the pipes c o 0 pass. Between these false heads a a are fixed peripherio floats F.

The hollow head E, with the hollow journal D, is constructed as shown in fig. 3, that is, it is divided by partitions, s s s 8, into sections 1 m, 2 m, 3 'm, 4 m.

The operation of my improved drier is as follows:

The apparatus is in an inclined position, as shown;

, the pipes c c c are heated by steam let in through journal D; the pipes are revolved slowly, say twenty revolutions per minute ground grain is brought into the cylinder at l, or any convenient place, (it is best at the elevated end;) the revolving pipes, assisted by floats F, keep the meal agitated continually while it is being dried by the steam-heated pipes; and as the outlet end of the apparatus is lower than the inletend, the meal gradually works to the lower end, being. carried there also by the continual discharge, and the revolving pipes, where it is discharged at B. The

floats F prevent clogging. The pipes give a greater heated surface than could otherwise be gained, and being heated by steam, there is no danger of scorch ing the meal or flour.

The steam, and water from condensation, discharge through journal D, but to prevent the accumulation of water in the pipes, or in the hollow headE, I construct this head as shown in fig. 3, that is, dividedinto four compartments, 1 m, 2 m, 3411,4121,- thus, water running into section 1m is carried by the partition, when the head revolves, above the centre of the journal D, and, as this end is the lowest, the water discharges readily, and so with the other compartments, as water accumulates; consequently the pipes and heads are free from water at all times.

The false heads a a prevent the meal coming in contact with the heads E E, therefore avoidingany injury which might otherwise be received by any leakage whiclrmight take place by the contraction and expansion of the parts by the alternate action of the heat and cold.

The floats F are fixed between these false heads a a, in order that they may not become loose by contraction and expansion.

There are many advantages gained by a drier constructed as described, over those in use. There is no danger of fire, as there is in driers where hot 'air is employed; consequently a great saving can be made in insurance, for companies decline to insure mills where hot-air driers are used, oronly insure at enormous rates. My steamrdrier overcomes this great objection. Again, hot-air driers tend to scorch or perch the meal, thus, in a manner, destroying its vitality. Also, when meal is very damp, hot-air driers actually boil or cook it, instead of drying it, My drier, by being open at the top, or partly so, allows the moisture to pass up as the meal'is stirred and agitated by the hot pipes and the peripheric floats.

The great advantage of drying by steam instead of hot air is apparent from well-known principles.

To illustrate the quantity of moisture in meal, and the efiectiveness of my steam-drier, I recently took from a single car-load of meal, by my drier, twenty. five hundred pounds of water. Had this drier been employed previous to shipment, some ten dollars freightper car-load would have been saved, to say nothing of the expense of twenty-five hundred pounds of western water at so much per pound.

When it is considered that moisture in meal or flour is the cause of its heating or moulding, the necessity of a good drier is apparent; and the one which will extract the water without injury to the product, is, of course, the most desirable. I By actual use of many kindagl nhsatisfied that a steam-drier, constructed as I have descn'bed, substantially, will best accomplish the results sought.

What I claim, therefore, as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A steam-drier, composed of cylinder A, within which are arranged pipes, c c 0, between hollow heads E and E, peripheric floats F, andfalse heads a a, revolving as a cylinder upon hollow journals'D D, substantially as set forth.

2.7,1he hollow head E, constructed with compartments, substantially as set forth.

3. The combinationof all the above-named parts in a steam-drier, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HENRY CUTLER.

Witnesses:

CARROLL D. WRIGHT,- AUSTIN SwHDWARTH. 

